Leg Post 98
Leg Post 98 opens with some exposition on the position of the Hittite Empire and its ongoing feud with the Egyptian Kingdom and, to a latter extent, the Assyrian Empire. The Hittites and the Egyptians would fight over the lands of the Levant, but Egyptian was largely distracted by African countries, such as Nubia and Ethiopia. Upon reading the letter sent by Ankhesenamun, in Leg Post 97, the Hattusan king, Suppiluliuma I, is shocked and dubious. His youngest son, Zannanza, wants to help the Egyptian queen and would gladly offer himself as her husband. The king, however, chooses to send a messenger to confirm the queen's story, who later returns with another letter that questions why Suppiluliuma I would doubt her sincerity. Although he wanted to believe her, with the desire to merge all of Egypt into his empire, he is certain this is a trap. However, Zannanza is determined to go regardless and, eventually, the old king relents and gives his son his blessing to travel to Egypt. In Egypt, Ankhesenamun prays to Khonsu, god of the moon and travellers, to watch over her travelling husband-to-be but she has also arranged to meet with Horemheb, general of the military. Vizier Ay plans to marry her, against her will, and she believes that he knows of Zannanza so she enlists the aid of Horemheb to bring the Hattusan prince to Thebes. In a moment of solidarity and passion, the general forces a kiss upon her but repents his mistake a moment later and agrees to carry out her wish to find the Hattusan. Meanwhile, Zannanza had been learning much about the world as he travelled through the Levant. He eventually enters the Sinai Penninsula, which marks the border between the African continent proper and the Middle-East. There, he is met by some soldiers who claim to be working for the queen so he admits his identity only to find it is a ruse and they attempt to slay him. He is rescued by Horemheb and his own soldiers. In Egypt, Ankhesenamun announces her intention to marry the prince instead of Vizier Ay, but she notices that he doesn't seem perturbed. She waits, anxiously, as no news is good news. Horemheb takes Zannanza to stay in an inn, but when everyone is asleep, Horemheb murders Zannanza. He stages it to look like he was strangled in his sleep, but he must ensure no news of this reaches Egypt before he can arrive there so he can marry the queen himself. When he does get back to Thebes, he discovers that Ay's spies had seen the whole incident and already reported the death of the prince. This allowed Ay to marry Ankhesenamun quickly, while Horemheb was away. Horemheb despairs at his actions. Post Zannanza the Good Suppiluliuma I was an aged man, very advanced in years. Only the richest of people survived to old age and this man was extremely so. The Hittite Empire than he commanded was the strongest nation in Anatolia with only the old Assyrian Empire as a serious threat. The Egyptian Kingdom was a constant thorn, but they had to expend great resources to reach the northern Levant, where his borders stood solid. They constantly fought over a few cities on the border but every time the Egyptians conquered one, they had to return to their African lands and Suppiluliuma moved back in and recaptured it. The Babylonian Empire was a rising power, but they had to contend with Assyria and the Hittites were spared that enemy for now. The Egyptians had to battle their African neighbours, particularly the Nubians and the Ethiopians, so the Hittites stood strong and resilient. They had little need to venture into the Aegean Sea, which was far from their capital city, and their cities along that coast were small and poor, mostly used for fish and minor trade. Their greatest trade routes were land based, reaching so far as China far to the East of the planet. Their greatest frustration were the Amazons, who raided them like common bandits but with weapons and muscles to make them significantly formidable. But the truth is, he loved it. The Amazons were strong and brave and worthy foes. Whenever news came of their adventures he listened keenly and sent armies to try to capture them. They never succeeded; which was disappointing and a relief. He didn’t know what he would do with one if he did capture her. Marry her? She’d probably gut him in his sleep. They were women unlike any other. So when the letter from an Egyptian queen came, he couldn’t believe the words on the page. An Egyptian queen demanding a marriage? Suppiluliuma I: “This is unprecedented!” Zannanza: “But we are going to help her, right?” The old man looked over his note at the young man. His youngest son; he was brave, honest and stupid. They called him Zannanza the Good but Suppiluliuma called him Idiot Boy. This wasn’t an insult in the mind of the old king. He loved the boy and his naivety, but he was a silly thing with a head filled with nonsense like honour and kindness and something called chivalry, whatever that meant. Suppiluliuma I: “Don’t be so quick to trust a woman’s words, Idiot Boy. Especially an Egyptian one. And a queen at that! I’ve never seen anything like this. An Egyptian queen wanting to make a king of a foreign prince?” Zannanza: “I have no wife, father! I will marry her!” Suppiluliuma I: “It’s a trap, Idiot Boy! She wants one of my sons as a hostage.” Zannanza: “No! I don’t believe that! She would never—” Suppiluliuma rolled his eyes with a groan. Suppiluliuma I: “You saw a letter and think you know her already, do you? This is why you are the Idiot Boy.” The young man pouted. Suppiluliuma I: “Don’t give me the puppy dog eyes. I’ll send someone to investigate if this be true, okay? I’ll send a letter of inquiry.” Zannanza became anxious. Zannanza: “But, by then it could be too late!” Suppiluliuma I: “Are you king of Hattusa, Idiot Boy?” He sulked. Suppiluliuma I: “I will not send you off to be imprisoned by some Egyptian harlot.” Zannanza: “Don’t call her that!” Suppiluliuma I: “What? Are you in love already?” Zannanza swelled. Zannanza: “This is destiny, father! I can feel it! Just imagine, if I marry her then my son will be pharaoh of Egypt!” Suppiluliuma I: “And if I disinherit your older brothers, make you my heir… our family will rule all of Egypt and the Hittite Empire…” Zannanza looked worried. Zannanza: “Isn’t that a bit mean to my brothers?” Suppiluliuma I: “Fuck ‘em.” He stroked his chin but then snapped out of his reverie. Suppiluliuma I: “We will see. I will investigate. I won’t risk your life without being certain.” He turned to a messenger and spoke; Suppiluliuma I: “Go thou and bring back the true word to me. Maybe they deceive me. Maybe, in fact, they do have a son of their lord.” The messenger went with all haste. Yet it was still months of journeying to reach Thebes and then journey back with the reply from the mysterious queen. When the messenger handed over the letter, the king read it with his son, Zannanza, present. Why didst thou say “they deceive me” in that way? Had I a son, would I have written about my own and my country's shame to a foreign land? Thou didst not believe me and hast even spoke thus to me. He who was my husband has died. A son I have not. Never shall I take a servant of mine and make him my husband. I have written to no other country, only to thee have I written. They say thy sons are many: so give me one son of thine. To me he will be husband, but to Egypt he will be king. The king drummed his fingers upon the arm of his chair. His son was grinning like a moron. Zannanza: “See, father? She tells the truth! She is in dire need!” Suppiluliuma shook his head and continued to drum his fingers. Suppiluliuma I: “I know you don’t understand this, Idiot Boy, but not everyone is as honest as you are. This has to be a trap. It must be…” Zannanza: “Please father! I am certain of this! Allow me to go before it’s too late! She is in danger! She needs me!” Suppiluliuma I: “A woman like this doesn’t need anybody. Wants, perhaps.” He rubbed his eyes with worry. He wanted, desperately, to believe this letter to be true. It would be true glory for the city of Hattusa to become rulers of Egypt, the most ancient of kingdoms. Yet, it was too good to be true. He was old and cynical, certainly, but even the most optimistic fool had to question this. He glanced up at his idiot son. Maybe not the most optimistic fool. Suppiluliuma I: “I will question her once more. Messenger, send her this;” You keep asking me for a son of mine as if it were my duty. He will in some way become a hostage, but king you will not make him. Zannanza: “Don’t send her that! It’s so rude!” Suppiluliuma I: “We will get to the bottom of this mysterious, Idiot Boy.” However, during the course of the next few weeks, the young man pestered his father with urgency of the matter. He believed she was in great need and the longer they delayed, the greater her distress. Her fear had struck him so much that he was certain her life was in danger. Zannanza: “I have made up my mind, father!” Suppiluliuma I: “What’re you talking about?” Zannanza: “I am to journey to Egypt!” Suppiluliuma I: “Wait for the reply.” Zannanza: “No, no! I shall not. I am leaving this instant!” The old king glared at his son but, upon seeing the determination in his young face, the old man felt the ice of his heart melt. The boy was already enamoured with a woman he had only ever seen in words and his sense of honour was overriding all senses. He hated this but he also admired it greatly. Perhaps he was even jealous. He would love to experience the world like his son, just for one day. But he was old and wise and knew of the horrors that men would visit upon each other for little-to-no reason at all. He saw that Zannanza was dressed for travel. He wore a long, thick, white cloak with a heavy turban on his head to protect him from the rays of the sun. His young face was made even younger by the poor stubble growth that made him look like a teenager, desperate for facial hair. Suppiluliuma I: “Okay, fine.” Zannanza perked up with surprise. Zannanza: “Really, you’re letting me go!?” Suppiluliuma I: “You just said you were going with or without my blessing.” Zannanza: “Yes, but… I didn’t think you would… Thank you father! You’ll see! I promise you! She is a genuine and wonderful woman. Clearly she cares for her kingdom and that goodness of the heart will make her the perfect wife for me!” Suppiluliuma I: “If she is as good as you say, you’re probably right. Be careful, my son. Even if you are right, she still seems intelligent. Intelligent enough to see the dangers of her court and seek outside aid. And, if she tells the truth, that court is a den of great evil. Beware those who would manipulate you. Keep your wits about you and do not be deceived by them. These Egyptians are so untrustworthy…” Zannanza: “Except for my fair queen!” Suppiluliuma couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. Suppiluliuma I: “I bloody hope so, else she doesn’t deserve such as good and kind boy like you.” Zannanza grinned, ear-to-ear. He was used to being called Idiot Boy, but he knew his father loved him truly and there it was. He ran at the old man and threw his arms around him in a tight embrace. Zannanza: “I love you, dad!” Suppiluliuma pretended to be angry. Suppiluliuma I: “Come on, get off me you fool!” Despite his words, he made it more difficult to untangle themselves for a minute. Suppiluliuma I: “Next time I see you, you had better be a king with a hot wife!” Zannanza: “I… I didn’t consider what she looks like.” Suppiluliuma I: “She’s probably as ugly as a goat.” Zannanza: “I don’t care how beautiful she is! I know her heart, I know she is beautiful inside already.” The old man gave a wicked grin. Suppiluliuma I: “Indeed! Inside, all women are beautiful.” Zannanza: “What? Oh! Father! That’s terrible!” Suppiluliuma I: “Hey, I was young once, you know?” Zannanza: “Goodbye, you old pervert.” Suppiluliuma I: “Goodbye, Idiot Boy.” Zannanza marched off on his first adventure. He had never travelled outside of the empire before. He was never one for battle, so he didn’t join the military and didn’t go on campaigns. He travelled around the empire, exploring the beautiful landscape of Anatolia, but beyond his homeland, it was deemed too unsafe. He admitted, he was afraid. But with love and honour in his heart, he had to push on and overcome his fear. He moved south, across the lands of Canaan in the Levant. Ankhesenamun waited quietly in the dark of her room. She was afraid but desperate. Inviting a man to her chambers was dangerous at any time, but alone in the dark of night… She swallowed, but her throat was sore and dry. She fiddled her fingers, growing increasingly anxious as time went on. The moon gently sailed past the night sky outside. Khonsu, god of the moon, was known as ‘the traveller’ and to him now, she prayed. She had heard that her new husband was on his way to her, travelling across the distant lands of Canaan, at last. She had initially wept with joy at the news, but she had to conceal everything from everyone. She was, however, convinced that Vizier Ay had discovered her plot. He would surely find her new husband and slay him before he ever reached Egypt. She needed a new plan to be put in motion, but it meant trusting someone within her kingdom. She couldn’t trust anyone, but she knew of one man that hated the vizier with greater loathing than even she. A gentle tap sounded at the door and she looked up, startled. Horemheb: “Sorry, my queen. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She controlled the panic in her trembling body. She was afraid of the general, almost as much as she was afraid of the vizier. Though more honest and sincere, the general was still an ambitious man and she was certain he had designs for her throne. He stomped into the dark room and she was afraid, for a moment, that he might kill her there and then. He was big enough, his hands more than capable of throttling her with little effort. But he just stood there, quietly watching her. Nervously, she cleared her throat – but it hurt, and she winced before she managed to push out her words. Ankhesenamun: “Thank you for coming to see me, general. I trust nobody saw you?” Horemheb: “No one. I ordered the guards away.” It was that easy. He was the general, he could order all the guards away in the dead of night. There was no one to protect her now. Ankhesenamun: “You are a loyal man, are you not, Horemheb?” Horemheb: “I am loyal to Egypt, yes.” She noticed that. Loyal to Egypt, but not necessarily to her. She might not be travelling right now, but she made a quick prayer to Khonsu for her own protection all the same. The god was son of Amun himself, patron of Thebes and guardian of its people. She begged them to keep her safe this night. Ankhesenamun: “And you would agree that Vizier Ay is a danger to Egypt?” Horemheb: “Absolutely.” Ankhesenamun: “He plans to marry me.” The general’s form jolted visibly, even in the dark. Horemheb: “You… would do this thing?” Ankhesenamun: “Not willingly!” Horemheb’s figure settled down. Had he been close to killing her in that moment, she wondered? Would he murder? Vizier Ay, she was certain, had murdered her entire family; her grandfather, her mother, her brother, even her babies. How long before he murdered her too? Perhaps it would be better if Horemheb murdered her instead, at least that would be one small victory over Ay. Horemheb: “You have some scheme to thwart this action?” Ankhesenamun: “Indeed! I shall marry another!” The general nodded slowly but firmly and she suddenly feared he had mistaken her intent. Ankhesenamun: “Not to any Egyptian.” He froze. Horemheb: “Then, to whom?” Ankhesenamun: “My new king journeys this way, even as we speak. He is a prince of Hattusa.” Horemheb: “An—a—Hattusan!? You would give Egypt over to such a man!?” Ankhesenamun: “King Suppiluliuma has many sons. He can spare one for me. A man with no prior designs or schemes to make himself pharaoh. He will be exactly what the throne needs. New blood, without old allegiances or inherited vice. With him, I will have no fear for my safety.” Horemheb clearly got the message; she didn’t trust anyone at court, including him. He finally nodded. Horemheb: “Better this Hattusan than Vizier Ay. What do you need of me, my queen?” She brightened. At last, a modicum of trust. She could barely believe her fortune. Amun was truly watching for her this night. Ankhesenamun: “I want you to find my husband and bring him to me safely. I am certain Vizier Ay’s spies have learnt of my letters to Hattusa and may be sending killers to slay my husband, even as we speak. Please perform this duty to me, and to Egypt. You know I am a good and fair queen, yes?” Horemheb: “I know it! You are a fair and good queen. And your brother was a good and honest young man. I lament his passing.” She decided she should open up, possibly finally able to make this general her ally rather than her enemy. Ankhesenamun: “It was Ay, Horemheb! He murdered King Tut!” The general nodded. Horemheb: “I am certain that he did, my queen. I’m sorry that we weren’t able to stop him. In fact, I believe he tried to kill the king many times but the pharaoh was too strong in will and blessed by our gods. If only… if only I could have proven his affairs. The vizier is truly a wily and cunning man. He will never be caught.” Ankhesenamun: “But we can still foil his plans! Bring me my husband, General Horemheb, and together we will defeat this vizier!” She jumped to her feet, feeling more confident in this moment than she had for months. She felt, suddenly, she had misjudged the good general. The man looked down at her and she into his eyes, imploringly. There was a long pause and, as time dragged on, she thought he was going to refuse to help her. Instead, suddenly, he grabbed her and placed his mouth to hers. She was taken by surprise and hang in his arms for a moment but when she regained her senses, she pulled away from him, pushing his arms off of her. Ankhesenamun: “General! You forget yourself!” Horemheb: “I’m sorry, my queen! I thought—I felt—I was mistaken. I thought, perhaps, you understood that I…” Ankhesenamun: “I will marry none at court, general. Bring me my Hattusan husband. You will be richly rewarded for your service to me, but you cannot be my husband.” He fell to one knee. Horemheb: “Please forgive me.” She was agitated but she needed his help so she put her slender hand upon his cheek. Ankhesenamun: “I will. But you must complete my quest.” With that, the general rose and departed. He gathered a small troop of men together and they rode out from Thebes in the direction of Levantine lands. Zannanza was enjoying his sojourn immensely. The Canaanites were exciting and interesting people. He enjoyed their food and their language, though complex, was pleasing on the ears. He tried to learn some words as he travelled, but he would that dialects changed drastically wherever he went so that the words he had learnt one city ago were suddenly useless in the next. He found that his boots became worn very quickly, despite their great expense back in Hattusa. Expensive didn’t always mean functional, he discovered. He had to buy new boots. They were not as pretty, but they seemed more serviceable. He had only ever seen the calm waters of the Black Sea, to the north of Hattusa, which was an inland sea. The Aegean Sea was a very different body of water. It was violent and exciting. The ships were tougher and larger. The sailors, however, claimed that the Aegean, and all of the Mediterranean, were very calm waters when compared to the ferocious oceans to the north where the pale-skinned Celts lived. Many of the flimsy Mediterranean boats would sink in moments should they attempt those cold seas. Zannanza could hardly conceive of such a place and he envisioned deadly, dark, evil waters with cruel, pale people that lived like barbarians – more so than the white-skins of Thracia or Scythia. To dispel this racism, he met with some Greeks in one harbour of a small town. They were very white but seemed to be perfect gentlemen who were keen on gathering knowledge as much as trading for goods. They bought artwork, especially pottery, to sell to nobles in their island homelands. Zannanza thought it amazing that people lived on islands, surrounding by sea at all times. They frequently ventured on boats to visit neighbours or buy goods. He had only been on a sightseeing boat along the southern coast of the Black Sea once and he could not imagine doing that every day. Eventually he left the Levant and crossed into the Sinai Peninsula. To his mind, this marked the old border of Egypt – the land before entering Egypt proper. There were a great many mountains in Sinai, especially towards the south of the peninsula, but he stuck to the north, on a clear path to Thebes. As he neared a town, where he hoped to find an inn for the night, he became away of a group of armed men approaching him. He initially thought they were soldiers passing by, but he realised they were headed straight for him. He slowed down until they reached him and dismounted. The leader of the bunch was an older man, stern and grim. Soldier: “Are you the Hattusan prince?” Zannanza chewed his lip. Soldier: “Well?” Zannanza: “I have no idea what you mean! I mean a travelling merchant. I’m selling…” He glanced down at himself, remembering he had nothing but his travelling gear. Zannanza: “Well, I sold out, actually. Sorry folks!” Soldier: “I was sent by the queen to find you.” Zannanza brightened with relief. Zannanza: “Thank the gods! I thought my father was right for a moment! Yes, I am Prince Zannanza of Hattusa! Please, take me to your queen!” The soldiers laughed mockingly. Zannanza: “Oh damn.” The leader drew his sword. Soldier: “This is nothing personal, you understand? I cannot allow you to wed the queen. It’s my duty to Egypt.” Zannanza: “Come now, my good man! Surely we can work this out!?” Seeing the deadly dedication in the soldier’s eyes, Zannanza did the only smart thing. He turned and ran. The soldiers laughed and jeered as he went but they were mounted and he was not. He had bought and sold many horses and camels on his way, but he had wanted to walk through Sinai and enter Egypt on foot. He felt it would have been a beautiful feeling to feel the first grains of Egyptian sand on his feet as he entered. Silly sentiment was about to get him killed, he realised. His legs worked, but the horses were faster. He cursed the gods for having the stupidity to give horses four legs and not humans. It wasn’t fair! He jumped to the side as a horse went by, narrowly avoiding a swinging blade. The soldier reared his horse to a halt and looked back. Soldier: “Make this easy on yourself, boy! I promise I’ll make it quick and painless. If you keep running, I can’t guarantee this isn’t going to hurt.” He didn’t reply, he just turned to run again. This time more the other horses gave chase too. They ran ahead of him, so he had to turn but more horses were there too. His heart beat fast in his head and his head hurt from the pounding of blood and adrenaline. He skidded to a halt when he found he was boxed in. The leader dismounted again and slowly drew his sword. Soldier: “It’ll be over in a minute, boy. Don’t struggle. I don’t want to make you suffer more than necessary.” With nothing left to do but pray, Zannanza did just that. He wasn’t sure his own gods of Anatolia could reach him in foreign lands, and he didn’t know any of the Egyptian gods. He heard they prayed to someone called Ra, but that might be Aten, or someone called Amun. Would any god even care if he died here? Apparently, they would. An arrow whistled through the air and struck the soldier in the neck. Blood spurted from the wound and he fell to his knees, suffering far more than the death he had intended for his victim. The soldiers quickly turned about to face their attackers but they were soon overrun by this unexpected force. As Zannanza stood, amazed, he watched more Egyptian soldiers arrive, these ones in much more impressive military armour, and slay those that had tried to kill the prince. The leader of these soldiers now stepped forward as he dismounted. Soldier: “Prince of Hattusa, I presume? I have been sent by the queen.” Zannanza looked down at the man with an arrow in his neck. He was still bleeding to death. Zannanza: “That’s what he said.” Soldier: “Sorry, Egypt is a dangerous place these days. Both bandits and soldiers may want to kill you. They were soldiers, not bandits, so I assume you are the prince, right?” He didn’t see that he had much choice but to reply honestly; Zannanza: “Yes, I am Prince Zannanza of Hattusa.” The man removed his helmet. Horemheb: “I am General Horemheb. I am here to escort you.” Ankhesenamun: “I am sorry to disappoint the vizier, but alas, I am already betrothed to another man.” There was a sudden clamour in the assembly hall and the nobles now heard this surprising news. Vizier Ay had just made his proposal to the queen but this sudden rejection was a shock to everyone. Everyone except the vizier himself, it appeared. He bowed, his silk adornments dropping low. Vizier Ay: “That is regrettable for me, but happy news for this would-be suitor! Yet, I shall still offer up myself as potential husband, before the court, in case these betrothal falls through. After all, marriage to foreign men is always a great risk.” More clamour as they learnt their new king would be a foreigner. Vizier Ay: “The road from Hattusa to Thebes is long and treacherous.” More shock that the husband was to be a Hattusan! But to Ankhesenamun, it was proof that she was right all along. He did know of her Hattusan prince and his words suggested he planned to have the man killed. She hoped the general could find her prince and keep him safe. No news was good news. So long as no news came, then the prince was alive and on his way. She closed her eyes in further prayer. It seemed to be all she did these days. The inn was quiet and the guests few. Zannanza was surprised by that, but he guessed his new patron may have paid the innkeeper to turn all suspicious guests away. The prince and the soldiers sat at a table, drinking happily. Zannanza listened to their exciting stories of African cultures that the prince could only dream of. Great battles, powerful enemies and wonderous treasures. They talked of the gods, the pharaohs and the Nile. They seemed to love this river, he noted. One by one, the soldiers retired to bed until he and Horemheb were the last to leave the table and head up the stairs. Zannanza: “Thank you, good general. You are a fine man and I expect we, my new wife and I, will reward you handsomely!” Horemheb: “I do everything in service to Egypt, Prince Zannanza. I find you to be a good and honest man, like none I have met in recent years.” Zannanza opened the door to his room and stepped in, swaying from the alcohol. Zannanza: “Thank you, general!” Horemheb closed the door behind them. Horemheb: “It wasn’t a compliment.” His mighty hands wrapped around the young man’s neck and his thumbs pressed on the apple of his throat. The boy squirmed, struggled and kicked but he could make no more noise than a croak as he gasped. It didn’t take long. Zannanza’s body fell to the floor, dead. The general drew a breath, calming his nerves and pushing away his remorse. The boy was a nice and good, it was true, but that was not the makings of a strong leader. Egypt now needed a man of true power and authority after the lunacy inflicted upon it by the Aten-worshippers. He dragged Zannanza into the bed and threw blankets, messily, over his body. He straightened the things he had knocked to the floor, then he purposefully knocked more things over, closer to the bed. It had to appear that he was murdered in bed. This would keep Horemheb in the clear. Most crucially, he had had to do the deed himself. Had he allowed Ay’s men to perform the act, they would have returned with news of the prince’s death and Ay would wed the queen. So long as there was no news to Egypt, then he could return quickly and wed her himself. He quietly closed the door behind him and went to his own room. One of the soldiers would find the body in the night, when he checked upon the prince, and they would return to Thebes themselves with the news. He would be innocent, of course, and the queen would surely agree to wed him, as the only viable option against Ay. He lay on his bed and thought of the beauty of the young woman. He remembered the taste of her lips, how deeply he treasured that moment. The feeling of her breasts against his chest, the arch of her back… he groaned just thinking of her. Soon he would be pharaoh, leader of Egypt and he would bed the girl every night. Horemheb returned to Thebes with a feeling as though he had just conquered Hattusa itself. He swelled with anticipation at what was to come. Even now, as he rode towards the palace where she awaited, he felt her little body in his grip. He salivated at the thought of her and had to snap his attention back to reality as he entered the building. But as he approached the throne room, he sensed something was off. More soldiers than usual lined the passages and, as he went, several followed him. When he finally reached the grand hall where the beautiful Ankhesenamun was sat, beside her, sat in the throne for the pharaoh, was Ay himself. The general ground his teeth. King Ay: “Welcome back, general! We don’t know what clandestine mission you were sent on, but it is good to have our finest hero returned to us!” Ay rose from the throne. King Ay: “We received word that, tragically, a bandit murdered the poor Hattusan prince! With that death, it was affirmed that I should take his place as husband to our fair queen. It is a shame you were not here to enjoy the ceremony! You may even have been considered for the role of king, had you been available. Such bad luck.” Horemheb snorted, barely containing his fury. He had been outsmarted. There must have been spies somewhere, watching the whole thing. He wanted to bellow and scream but he contained himself. He looked at Ankhesenamun. She was miserable, unhappy and despondent. Horemheb: “What have I done?” Notes Britt's Commentary "The letters contained within this post are the real letters of DakhamunzuDakhamunzu article, Wikipedia. , who could have been AnkhesenamunAnkhesenamun article, Wikipedia., and ZannanzaZannanza article, Wikipedia., son of Suppiluliuma IŠuppiluliuma I article, Wikipedia. , was killed under mysterious circumstances on his way to Egypt. For anyone that didn't know the history, I wrote this post in a fashion to make it seem that Zannanza would be an important character moving forward, only to then die at the end of the post." ~ Britt the Writer References External References Category:Post Category:Leg Post